Automatic depth control for agricultural implements



Patented June 9, 1953 AUTOMATIGDEPTH CONTROL FOR AGRI- CULTURALIMPLEMENTS Walter H. Silver, Moline, 111., assignor to Deere &

Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original applicationJune 19, 1941, Serial No. 398,781. Divided and this application July 23.1945, Serial No. 606,652

3 Claims. (o1. 97-46113) This application is a division of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 398,781, filed June 19, 1941, for AutomaticDepth Control for Agricultural Implements, now U. S. Patent No.2,405,334.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines andmore particularly to ground working implements in which ground workingtools are provided.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof depth controlling means deriving operating energy from the tractorengine and automatically responsive to changes in the depth of operationof th tool or tools. whereby substantially constant depth of operationmay be maintained automatically at any desired depth. More specifically,it is a feature of this invention to provide an implement havingamovable ground engaging shoe or gauge member, movement of whichrelative to the implement automatically controls the application ofpower from the tractor to the depth adjusting mechanism so that if itshould occur that the tools momentarily tend to run deeper or moreshallow than the desired setting, the mechanism is operative to readjustthe depth controlling means so mechanism which utilizes depthcontrolling" mechanism which does not interfere with the freedom ofmovement of the tool or tools relative to the tractor. It is a furthercharacteristic of this invention that the automatic depth controllingmechanism may be incorporated in towed implements.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which show illustrative embodiments of thisinvention.

In the drawings, the single figure is a side view of a towed implementof the tiller type, in which power is derived from the tractor foroperating suitable depth controlling means under the control of depthresponsive gauge means.

Referring now to the drawing, which shows the principles of the presentinvention incorporated ina power-actuated depth control for disktillers, the implement shown in this figure comprises a disk tiller ofthe type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,928,952, dated October 3,1933, to which reference may be made for dctails'of constructlon.Briefly, the disk tiller, which is indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral I50, comprises a plurality of aligned disks I5Isupported by suitable standards that are carried between generallydiagonally extending frame bars I52. The latter constitutes the frame ofthe implement and are supported by means of a front furrow wheel I53, arear land wheel 95 and a rear furrow wheel (not shown). The frame I52and the disks I5I constitute tool mean that are adapted to be raised andlowered relative to the associated ground wheels 95 and IE3, and broadlyconsidered the disks I5I represent any suitable operating means that maybe raised and lowered into various positions, as desired. Throughsuitable connections, including shiftable links I 56-, I51, and bellcranks I58, I59 and I8!) mounted on the diagonal frame bars I52, theframe may be raised and lowered relative to the wheels for adjusting thedepth of operation of the disks I5I which are carried by said frame, andraising and lowering them into and out or" transport position. Accordingto the above-mentioned prior patent, the disks I El are raised andlowered by power derived from the tractor T to which the implement I5!)is connected to be propelled thereby, as through suitable hitch meansIGI. The power connections just referred to include a telescoping powershaft I63 which delivers power to a reverse gear mechanism I 55, and thelatter in turn, under the control of a rock shaft I66, acts through ascrew shaft I61 to shift the bell crank I53 in one direction or theother, or hold the same in any position of adjustment. As fullydisclosed in my prior patent, rocking the shaft I55 in one direction orthe other serves to drive the screw shaft IS? in one direction or theother, and holding the rock shaft I66 in a neutral position serves tohold the shaft I67 against rotation in either direction.

According to the principles of the present invention, I provide meansfor controlling the depth adjusting rock shaft ISB by means that isresponsive to changes in the depth of operation of the disk I5I. To thisend, I provide a ground engaging shoe member I'IIl having a groundengaging element I'II at its rear end and pivotally mounted, as at I72,for generally vertical swin ing movement relative to the frame of thedisk tiller I 59. The shoe member I1!) is extended forwardly andupwardly, beyond the pivot I12, to form a depth adjusting lever I16. Anarm I'I'I having a notched sector I78 is mounted on the pivot I12 and isadapted to be connected with the hand lover I I6 by the usual detentmechanism I19. The arm H1 is connected by a link I8I to the lower end ofan arm I82 which is formed as a sector having a Single notch I84 withwhich detent mechanism on a hand lever I86 is adapted to engage. Thehand lever I86 is shown in its disengaged position, but normally it isin a position in which it is engaged with the notch I84.

The sector I82 and hand lever I86 constitute the; T 1H principalPortions of an operative connection between the ground-engagingmember-I10 and the gearing I65 that controls the application of power to theraising and lowering means. The sector I82 constitutes one part that isconnected to move with the ground-engaging shoe while the hand lever I86constitutes the other part that. is connected with the aforesaidcontrolling means. A

generally longitudinally shiftable link I90 is conf nected, with thehand lever I86 and carries a pair of lugs I9I and I92 with whichaniupstanding member I99 on the bell crank I58 is adapted to cooperateto limit the upperand lower positions to which the reverse gear mechansmI65 may be actuated to raise or lower the tools. A stop I95 is formed onthe gauge shoe member I18 to limit its lowered position when the toolsand the frame I52 are raised into transport position.

In any position of operation, if the disks II should tend to be forcedupwardly out of the ground, due to the implement striking a hard spot,for example the relative downward movement of the gauge shoe I actsthrough its connection with the rock shaft I66 to turn the latter in adirection to actuate the reverse gear mechanism I65 for the purpose ofmomentarily lowering the disks I5I relative to the frame. On the otherhand, if the disks should tend to run too deep, then the relative upwardmovement of the gauge member I18, which rides along the ground surface,causes the rock shaft I66 to be rocked in the other direction, raisingthe disks I5I. By this means, therefore, the disks I5I are maintainedsubstantially at a constant depth of operation. Moving the lever II6into different positions of adjustment causes the gauging element tomaintain the disks I5I at different depths of operation. The implementmay be raised into transport position by disengaging the hand lever I86from the sector I82 and swinging the lever I86 rearwardly. This acts torock the shaft I66 in a direction to cause the gear mechanism I65 toraise the frame and tools. -When it is desired to lower the tools, theoperator moves the hand lever I86 forwardly, thus actuating the gearmechanism in the other direction. The tools will then lower until thedetent mechanism on the hand lever I86 reengages in the notch I 84,restoring the control back to the gauge shoe I18.

While I have shown and described above the preferred means in which theprinciples of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to beunderstood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails shown and described above, but that, in fact, Widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with an implement including ground engaging supporting means,tool means adapted to be raised and lowered relative to said supportingmeans, means including reversible clutch -means mounted on saidimplement for raising and lowering said tool means relative to saidsupporting means, a power takeoff adapted to be continuously operatedfrom a source of power and connected to said raising and lowering meansthrough said reversible clutch means, and means for controlling saidreversible clutch means: the improvement comprising ground engaging shoemeans, means for pivotally connecting said shoe means with said toolmeans so as to extend at its lower end downwardly and rearwardly intrailing relation, being thereby responsive to changes in the positionof said tool means relative to the ground surface, an arm connected withsaid shoe means, means for connecting said arm with said clutchcontrolling means, whereby movement of said shoe means acts through saidarm for actuating said clutch controlling means, and means for changingthe position of said arm relative to said shoe means so as to change theworking position of said tool means.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, further characterized by said armbeing pivotally attached at one end to said shoe means at the point ofpivotal connection of said shoe means with said supporting means, anotched quadrant on said arm, and a detent part on said shoe meansadapted to register in said notches for adjusting the controlled depthof said tool means, said arm being connected at its other end to saidclutch controlling means.

3. For use in an implement adapted to be hitched to a tractor having apower unit thereon and wherein said implement comprises a frame carryingoperating means, means on the implement for raising and lowering saidframe and said operating means relative to the ground surface, means foroperatively connecting said raising and lowering means with the powerunit on the tractor to receive power therefrom, and means forcontrolling the application of power from said unit through saidconnecting means to said raising and lowering means: a ground-engagingmember, means for movably connecting said member with said implementframe, a connection between said ground-engaging member and saidcontrolling means, said connection including two relatively movableparts, one adapted to be disengaged from the other and one connectedwith said ground-engaging member and the other I connected with saidcontrolling means, means fixing said parts in different positions ofadjustment, whereby the relation between said groundengaging means andsaid power-controlling means may be varied, and means carried by saidimplement frame and engageable with said ground-engaging means forholding the latter against movement relative to the ground when saidparts are disposed in one position of adjustment.

WALTER H. SILVER."-

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

